Headley making himself handy

Breaking his left thumb on this play in spring training, Chase Headley is taking grounders at third base to keep his footwork sharp on this sason-opening road trip while waiting to come off the disabled list in two weeks.(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
— AP

Breaking his left thumb on this play in spring training, Chase Headley is taking grounders at third base to keep his footwork sharp on this sason-opening road trip while waiting to come off the disabled list in two weeks.(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
/ AP

NEW YORK  The bearded, blond-haired fellow taking warm-up grounders at third base before Monday’s game was familiar enough – none other than Chase Headley -- though his Opening Day won’t come for another couple weeks.

Big difference? The right-handed Headley was wearing a left-handed first baseman’s mitt.

“Just trying to keep my footwork sharp over there,” said Headley, the National League RBI champion of 2012, traveling with the Padres despite his disabled-list status. “Maybe I’ll end up a left-handed knuckleballer. You never know.”

Already a switch-hitter, Headley was switch-fielding. His broken left thumb taped, Headley actually was pretty smooth in handling grounders with his opposite hand, removing the glove a la Jim Abbott and switching the ball over to his right hand for the throw.

The hard part – first pitch -- was still hours away for Headley. He said he knew it was going to be a tough afternoon, the first Opening Day in which he wasn’t starting.

“I’m not a very good bench guy,” said Headley. “I don’t know what to do with myself, so I’m the guy flicking seeds at everybody else. (Pitching coach Darren) Balsley said I’m like a little boy who’s been put in the corner for a timeout.”

Headley’s place at third was taken by Cody Ransom, a 37-year-old journeyman making only his third Opening Day lineup.